Gas stoves mix air with natural gas, creating an efficient mixture that burns cleanly. This simple process allows these stoves to harness the energy stored in natural gas efficiently. Electric stoves typically run on electricity created at power plants, and fossil fuel plants must first convert coal, natural gas or oil heat into electricity, incurring a significant loss of energy in the process. In addition, electricity must be sent through wiring, which incurs more loss.

The better efficiency of gas stoves has increased due to the availability of electric ignition systems, which eliminate the need for pilot lights that constantly consume a small amount of gas. Gas stoves offer additional advantages that make them popular among professional chefs. They heat up faster, enabling chefs to turn them off when not needed without worrying about wasting time. Their heat levels also adjust more rapidly, making it easier to cooking different meals on the same stove.

The simple design and, in some cases, lower initial cost of electric stoves still make them the most popular option in 2015. While a stove upgrade can save money, these savings are small compared to what can be saved through upgraded heating and cooling systems or water heaters.